Are you incorporating strength training into your weekly routine…I’m telling you that you should be. It doesn’t really matter where you are in life…if you aren’t a mom yet and plan to be strength training will get you ready for that. If you’re already a mom well your kiddos are literally weights and if your kiddos are young you are probably picking them up every day. As your kids get older they get more active and mobile and may be involved in school and extracurricular activities and you will be trying to keep up with it all. Like I said…it doesn’t matter where you are…strength training can help.
Strength training routines will look different for everyone. They will be designed based on the equipment you have available to you, the time you have and so on, but I want there to by one consistent thing in your strength training program no matter what it looks like. Heavy weights! Although the view of strength training for women has begun to change in recent years many women still believe that they should get themselves a pair of 5 lbs dumbbells and call it a day. Now, don’t go thinking that 5 lbs dumbbells are bad…they are the place where many women start their strength training journey as they build strength, but also as they get comfortable with the movements. What I am saying is don’t limit yourself to only those 5 lbs weights, when they start to feel too easy, move on up to the next weight and the next and the next. Lifting heavy weights will not make you bulky…
I’m going to say that one more time so I’m sure that you heard me…lifting heavy weights will not make you bulky. And if you want to hear me harp on this topic even more click here for a whole blog post on it.
Now let’s get down to business…here are the 7 reasons I want you to pick up the heavy weights mommas (and yes, your kiddos can be used in place of dumbbells/barbells on your weight training journey)
Reason 1: You Will Feel Badass
Yes, I’m am certainly including this on this list and yes, I’m making it number 1! The empowerment that comes from lifting heavy weights will put you on cloud nine. It will help you feel strong and powerful and it will improve pretty much every area of your life that involves any sort of movement at all. If you’ve never lifted heavy before I would encourage you to try it (safely of course…we want good form over here). The high that you will get from it can be compared to a “runners high” but guess what…you don’t have to run to get it…I call that a win-win!
Reason 2: You Will Achieve That “Toned” Look
Okay, so I want to start off by saying that I actually hate the word “toned”, but I’m using it here because it’s relatable and you will understand what I mean when I say it. Women these days, no matter where they are in their life want to look more “toned” but I’m going to stop using that word and tell you that to achieve “that” look you are building muscle…end of story. Building muscle (which occurs when we strength train) results in that desired look that it seems every woman is after these days so if that’s what you’re striving for pick up the heavy weights and start lifting them.
Reason 3: You Will Sleep Better
Yes, mommas you heard me right. Strength training can help improve the quality of your sleep. When you strength train (even as little as once or twice a week) research indicates that generally people feel like they sleep better. I will make one caveat here; for a lot of people exercise (of any kind) within a couple of hours of bedtime can make it more difficult to fall asleep due to that adrenaline surge that usually comes with it. If you find yourself strength training in the evenings and are having difficulty falling asleep try moving your training up a little bit…half an hour may even be enough. If you are training in the evenings experiment with it until you find something that works for you consistently.
Reason 4: You Will Build Stronger Bones
Building stronger bones is generally not something that is at the forefront of most people’s minds but lifting weights does help build stronger bones. Bones become stronger when they have a load placed on them (this includes external load in the form of weights). For women especially, as we age bone density begins to decline and osteoporosis is fairly common in women. Lifting weights throughout your life can help to improve your bone density and decrease your risk of osteoporosis developing later in life.
Reason 5: Stress Be Gone
One of the best reasons to lift weights is to help reduce stress and improve mental health. Although generally most people begin lifting weights because they are looking to gain something aesthetically, they generally keep coming back because of the positive effects they see in their life with regards to decreased stress and improved mental health. Remember that “runner’s high” feeling we talked about earlier…that’s partly what I’m talking about here. Generally, people who engage in exercise have less stress hormones coursing through their bodies and in a society where stress seems to be sitting around every corner…this is key!
Reason 6: Improves Body Composition
Yes, lifting weights will improve your body composition. Lifting weights helps you build muscle and building muscle improves your overall body composition by lowering your body fat percentage and increasing the amount of lean muscle mass on your body. Increasing the amount of lean muscle mass you have on your body will also help you burn more calories throughout the course of the day because muscle tissue is more metabolically active than body fat (which is a fancy way of saying it uses more energy – aka calories). Improved body composition can also help decrease risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Reason 7: You Will Move Better in Your Everyday Life
Mommas have you ever stopped to think about how often you are lifting things up off the floor, carrying multiple things at once, or squatting down to get on the level of your kiddos? Yes strength training will help you with all of these things. If you are learning and focusing on developing good form while strength training you will see things start to translate into your everyday life. The more often you deadlift a bar properly, the more likely you are to use the same mechanics to pick a car seat up off the floor. You will lift in a safer way, you will squat in a safer way and you will just move in a safer way overall which is helpful cause we know that moms don’t get days off because they are sore or injured.
I will always advocate and encourage women to strength train. I have watched it have a positive effect on both my own life as well as my clients and it’s something I will continue to teach women about. If you have questions about strength training, what’s safe, what’s not or where to get started you can reach out here. I would love to guide you on your strength training journey and bring strength and wellness into your life!
ashleepedlowcoaching.ca 